Rare white reindeer found in northern Norway

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Sara Malm reports in The Daily Mail on December 3, 2018.

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This rare white baby reindeer almost disappears into the snowy background in these magical wintry snaps. Having emerged from the nearby woods in northern Norway with its brown mother, the calf happily posed for photographs in the snow.

White reindeer calf

White reindeer, which are not albino, have a rare genetic mutation that strips their fur of pigment.

The indigenous Sami people, who live in an area stretching across Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, believe a white reindeer is a sign of luck. This little reindeer would have been just a few months old, as calves are born in May each year.

Photographer Mads Nordsveen, from the capital Oslo, was on a hiking trip with friends when he spotted the white reindeer calf. The 24-year-old said: “I was walking in the mountains looking for nice landscapes for my travel photography when out of nowhere I saw this wonderful little creature. He came very close to me and we looked at each other straight in the eyes. He was quite relaxed when he saw that I was calm and friendly. It was almost as if he posed for the camera. He was very curious and fun. Like a little explorer.”

White reindeer with mother

He added, “After some minutes the mother of the baby reindeer came out of the trees just behind. It walked around for some minutes before running back to its mother. It was very magical and a fairytale moment.”

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